Latest news with #HarberFamily
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sisters killed in devastating Texas flooding found holding hands, relatives say
Two sisters killed in the Texas flooding were found holding hands, according to their relatives. The bodies of Blair and Brooke Harber, aged 13 and 11, were recovered on Friday, about 12 hours after devastating flooding hit the cabin community where they were staying with their family. They are among at least 104 people killed after heavy rain on Friday morning caused the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst, sweeping homes and vehicles away. Their aunt, Jennifer Harber, wrote in a detailed statement on a GoFundMe page for the family that the sisters' "hands were locked together" when rescuers found them about 15 miles downstream. She said they had been staying in a cabin with their grandparents along the river, while their mother and father, Annie and RJ, were lodged farther up the hill, away from the water. On the GoFundMe page, which was set up on Saturday, Ms Harber said the girls' parents were safe, but their grandparents Mike and Charlene had still not been found. There are fears the death toll could rise further. In the statement, Ms Harber wrote: "Brooke texted my brother, her grandmother and grandfather on Annie's side saying 'I love you' at 3.30am. "My nieces were upstairs in the loft. They were believers and one of their favourite classes was religion. "Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them. Their bodies were found yesterday afternoon 15 miles away in Kerrville. When they were found their hands were locked together." Later in the statement, she added: "We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken. Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed [sic] at this time." Their father on Sunday, saying Blair "was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart," while Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment". The GoFundMe has already raised nearly $300,000. The sisters are among at least 28 children who have died during the flooding, many of whom were staying at a girls' Christian camp along the river. Read more: They include twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, who had just finished second grade. Their parents John and Lacy Lawrence shared a statement saying: "Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others. "We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time." As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time. Homes and vehicles were swept away by the downpour - equivalent to months' worth of rain, while 27 girls staying at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, went missing when the fast-rising floodwaters hit. Search parties are continuing to look for those still unaccounted for, which includes 10 children from the girls' camp.
Sky News
08-07-2025
- General
- Sky News
Sisters killed in devastating Texas flooding found holding hands, relatives say
Two sisters killed in the Texas flooding were found holding hands, according to their relatives. The bodies of Blair and Brooke Harber, aged 13 and 11, were recovered on Friday, about 12 hours after devastating flooding hit the cabin community where they were staying with their family. They are among at least 104 people killed after heavy rain on Friday morning caused the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst, sweeping homes and vehicles away. Their aunt, Jennifer Harber, wrote in a detailed statement on a GoFundMe page for the family that the sisters' "hands were locked together" when rescuers found them about 15 miles downstream. She said they had been staying in a cabin with their grandparents along the river, while their mother and father, Annie and RJ, were lodged farther up the hill, away from the water. On the GoFundMe page, which was set up on Saturday, Ms Harber said the girls' parents were safe, but their grandparents Mike and Charlene had still not been found. There are fears the death toll could rise further. In the statement, Ms Harber wrote: "Brooke texted my brother, her grandmother and grandfather on Annie's side saying 'I love you' at 3.30am. "My nieces were upstairs in the loft. They were believers and one of their favourite classes was religion. "Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them. Their bodies were found yesterday afternoon 15 miles away in Kerrville. When they were found their hands were locked together." Later in the statement, she added: "We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken. Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed [sic] at this time." Their father spoke to CNN on Sunday, saying Blair "was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart," while Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment". The GoFundMe has already raised nearly $300,000. The sisters are among at least 28 children who have died during the flooding, many of whom were staying at a girls' Christian camp along the river. They include twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, who had just finished second grade. Their parents John and Lacy Lawrence shared a statement saying: "Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others. "We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time." 3:49 As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time. Homes and vehicles were swept away by the downpour - equivalent to months' worth of rain, while 27 girls staying at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, went missing when the fast-rising floodwaters hit. Search parties are continuing to look for those still unaccounted for, which includes 10 children from the girls' camp.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Texas sisters, 11 and 13, send haunting three-word text message before drowning as dad fought to save them
Two young sisters killed in the deadly Texas Hill Country floods sent their parents a heartbreaking final text before they drowned to death. Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were found dead about 12 hours after the flash floods erupted along the Guadalupe River early Friday morning. The sisters were with their grandparents Mike and Charlene Harber at a rented cabin along the river in Hunt when they were swept away, the family has revealed. As the parents were desperately searching for the girls, they checked their phones and saw they each received a text from their daughters that read 'I love you' at 3.30am. The girls also sent a similar message to their grandfather in Michigan. Their bodies were found Friday afternoon in Kerrville, about 15 miles from the cabin. The sisters were found holding hands. Blair and Brooke were eighth grade and sixth grade students respectively at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas. The sisters are among the 89 declared dead - with dozens more missing - when torrential rains created a near-Biblical flash flooding that caught thousands of Lone Star residents by surprise. Mike and Charlene were in the cabin with the girls and are currently missing. The young girls were staying with their grandparents in Casa Bonita cabin community near Hunt when the deadly flash floods broke out early Friday morning. Their father RJ and mother Annie were staying in a separate cabin nearby. The couple were woken up by the sound of rushing water early Friday morning as their cabin began to flood. They managed to escape the building by jumping out of a window as the water reached neck-level. RJ started to kayak towards the cabin where his daughters and parents were staying, but swell knocked him into a post about halfway through his journey. He shined a flashlight towards the cabin and saw an entire building had detached from the foundation and struck against the cabin where his family was. 'I shined a flashlight out there, and I could see it was white water, and I've kayaked enough to know that that was gonna be impossible,' RJ told The Wall Street Journal. 'There were cars floating at me and trees floating at me. I knew if I took even one stroke further, it was gonna be a death sentence.' He kayaked back towards Annie and the pair headed to higher ground with other families who managed to flee the flooded campsite. When they arrived at a safe spot, the couple checked their phones and saw they each received a text from their daughters that read 'I love you', timestamped at 3.30am. The girls also sent a similar message to their grandfather in Michigan. Blair and Brooke's bodies were found Friday afternoon in Kerrville, about 15 miles from the cabin. 'When they were found their hands were locked together,' a family member revealed in a crowdfunding campaign. The relative added: 'They had their rosaries with them.' Their grandparents Mike, 76, and Charlene, 74, remain missing. A GoFundMe account established in the family's honor has already raised more than $197,000, as of Monday morning. Father Joshua J. Whitfield, the priest for the St. Rita Catholic Community, has vowed to honor the girls memory. 'Even if we may never fully understand why such tragedies happen, we are called to respond with love, compassion, and prayer,' Whitfield told KDFW. 'We will honor Blair and Brooke's lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them.' Annie is a teacher at the Catholic school her daughters attended. The church is offering counselors to support students and faculty impacted by the tragedy.
Fox News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Fox News
Texas flooding victims include Dallas Catholic school sisters, camp counselor, Walmart employee
A beloved teacher and his wife. Young sisters staying with their grandparents. Multiple girls from a riverside summer camp and their father-figure camp director. These are some of the dozens of victims killed as gushing floodwaters swept across central Texas on Friday. The flooding originated from the swift waters of the swollen Guadalupe River as a storm pounded the region with torrential rain. The death toll has climbed to 82, with dozens more missing as of Monday morning. As the floodwaters receded, more victims were being identified and their stories shared. Reece and Paula Zunker Teacher and high school soccer coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula were found dead following the devastating flash flooding in Kerr County. "Reece was a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach," Kerrville Independent School District said in a statement. "His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten. "Paula, a former Tivy teacher, also left a lasting mark on our community," the statement continued. "The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later." The school district asked to keep the family "in your prayers," as the couple's two children, Lyle and Holland, were both still missing as of Sunday afternoon. Harber Family Blair and Brooke Harber, aged 13 and 11, were sleeping in a riverside cabin in Hunt, Texas, with their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, when the torrent swept away their cabin. The girls' parents, R.J. and Annie, were staying five houses down from them and awoke at 3:30 a.m. to go check on the girls during the storm but found their house had already started to flood. The family detailed their story in a GoFundMe post, sharing how the pounding rain masked the sound of the floodwaters in the home, which they said were "rising one foot per minute." R.J. and Annie broke a window to escape the flooded home and borrowed a kayak from a neighbor to try to reach their children. "But the water had risen too high to reach the neighbor's house that my parents and nieces and their 2 dogs were at," the post read, detailing how the waters were rough and had white caps. The bodies of Blair and Brooke were found 15 miles away in Kerrville. "When they were found their hands were locked together," the family said. The sisters were both students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas. Charlene and Mike had yet to be found at the time of the fundraising post. Tanya Burwick The last time Tanya Burwick's family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area. When Burwick didn't show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her. Police investigating the 62-year-old's disappearance found Burwick's unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day. Her body was found the next morning blocks from the vehicle. "She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh," said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mother was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many. Jane Ragsdale Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O'the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country. She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt. "She was the heart of The Heart," the camp said in a statement. "She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important." Dick Eastland Dick Eastland was the director and co-owner of Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Those who knew Eastland said he made the ultimate sacrifice trying to save his campers from the flood. "Camp Mystic's Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, wrote on X. "For decades he and his wife Tweety poured his life into loving and developing girls and women of character. Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you." Paige Sumner, a former camper and friend of Eastland, wrote in the Kerrville Daily Times: "It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers. He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic." Katharine Somerville, a camp counselor at Camp Mystic's Cypress Lake location, told "Fox News Live" on Sunday that the camp director was among the "most selfless men in the whole world" and "a father figure, a comforting force in the uncertainty of everything." Lila Bonner and Eloise Peck Lila Bonner and Eloise Peck were best friends and cabinmates at Camp Mystic. The girls were from Highland Park, a city near Dallas. They had both recently finished second grade at Bradfield Elementary. Janie Hunt Janie Hunt was one of the Camp Mystic campers who died in the devastating floods over the weekend. She was just 9 years old. Janie was a family member of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. Clark's wife, Tavia, said the family was devastated in an Instagram post. "Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives – including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls," Tavia Hunt wrote. Anna Margaret Bellows Anna Margaret Bellows, an 8-year-old from Houston, was also attending Camp Mystic. Her parents confirmed to Fox News that she died in the flood. Renee Smajstrla Renee Smajstrla, an 8-year-old from Ingram, Texas, was another of the Camp Mystic girls confirmed to have died. "Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly," Renee's uncle, Shawn Salta, told Fox News in a statement. "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville. " Linnie Anne McCown Linnie Anne McCown, an 8-year-old from Austin, was confirmed to have died in the flood at Camp Mystic. Her father Michael told Fox News, "She loved dance, gymnastics and was the sweetest girl to everyone she met." Sarah Marsh Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, was spending the summer away from home at Camp Mystic. Marsh was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in suburban Birmingham. "Our family is completely devastated by the loss of Sarah and her dear friends at Camp Mystic," the Marsh family said in a statement to Fox News. "This is a tragedy that no parent can prepare for and it will never be right this side of Heaven. "While we are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, we request privacy as we navigate the unimaginable steps ahead," the family continued. "We continue to keep the fellow campers, staff, and families in our prayers – for their rescue and return home." Mary Kathryn Jacobe Mary Kathryn Jacobe, 8, was also killed in the flood at Camp Mystic, FOX26 Houston reported. Mary's family told the outlet that the girl was "fun, compassionate and kind." "We will miss her dearly," the family said.
Wall Street Journal
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Wall Street Journal
A Texas Dad Tried to Kayak to His Daughters. The Girls Texted ‘I Love You.'
The search for survivors continues two days after a flash flood killed dozens of people across central Texas, but some of the stories of the families caught in the July Fourth weekend storms are starting to be told. The Harber family was spending the holiday at a cabin they owned in the Casa Bonita cabin community near Hunt, Texas. Around 3:30 a.m. on Friday, July 4, RJ Harber was awakened by pounding rain, thunder and lightning. Hours earlier, he had received flash-flood warnings for other areas but not where he was staying.
